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2012 mercedes-benz r-class Model Overview

The Mercedes-Benz R-Class is a luxury crossover that offers the space of a large SUV with comfortable road manners thanks to its low ride height and unibody construction. It’s also American made as the R-Class is built at Mercedes-Benz’s Alabama plant alongside the brand’s M and GL-Class SUVs.

After a significant update last year, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz R-Class returns this year with even more notable improvements. Under the hood of the R350 4Matic is Benz’s new direct-injected, 3.5-liter V-6-engine rated at 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, mated to a more fuel-efficient, seven-speed automatic transmission. The new combination helps boost the all-wheel-drive R350’s fuel economy to 16/21 mpg city/highway. The optional Bluetec 3.0-liter, diesel engine (210 hp and 400 lb-ft) carries over unchanged.

Inside, the luxury crossover still boasts standard wood trim, power front seats, automatic climate control, and three rows of seats that seat six or seven passengers depending on configuration. A number of updates and new standard features are now found in the 2012 R-Class, including directional lines on the rearview camera, COMAND with hard-drive navigation, HD Radio, and a 4GB hard-drive with Music Register.

The 2012 Mercedes R-Class gets a more powerful 3.5-liter, direct-injected, V-6 that is rated at 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, mated to a more fuel efficient seven-speed automatic transmission. Although the R-Class received several exterior and interior updates last year, the 2012 model benefits from a few minor updates and new standard features including a refreshed COMAND unit with hard-drive navigation, enhanced voice control, Sirius real-time traffic service, and HD Radio.

The R-Class crossover features a four-door design with prominent character lines and a sharply angled rear quarter window. Following significant updates last year, the exterior of the 2012 R-Class remains largely unchanged. Improvements for the 2011 model year R-Class included a reworked front fascia with an angular, three-bar grille, slimmer headlamp units, and a pair of daytime running LED lamps. The rear received revised glass, taillights, rectangular exhaust tips, and a diffuser. Larger side view mirrors rounded off the updates.

Passenger comfort is a strong suit for the R-Class. The standard, six-passenger configuration includes second-row captain chairs and third-row bench seating. An option second-row bench seat increases passenger capacity to seven. Standard interior features include wood trim, MB Tex seating surfaces, automatic climate control, COMAND head unit with hard-drive navigation, and fold down second and third row seats that increase cargo space to 85 cubic feet. Optional features include a panorama roof and a rear seat entertainment system.

With a new, direct-injected, V-6-engine rated at 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, the 2012 R350 4Matic provides more power than the outgoing model (268 hp and 258 lb-ft). It’s also more efficient with an EPA rated 16/21 mpg city/highway, compared to 15/19 with the older engine. The 3.0-liter, turbocharged, V-6-diesel rated at 210 horsepower is a carryover, but its torque output of 400 lb-ft is plenty to move around the hefty R-Class, which tips the scales at over 5000 pounds. The R350’s standard 4Matic all-wheel drive system is beneficial on rain and snow-filled roads.

In addition to comfort, the 2012 R-Class provides plenty of safety features for added peace of mind. In addition to nine standard airbags, the R-Class is fitted with ABS and Brake Assist, active head restraints, the Mercedes-Benz PRE-SAFE system, and 4-wheel Electronic Traction System (4-ETS). In addition, the Mercedes-Benz Mbrace system offers a number of safety services, including the automatic dispatch of emergency personnel in the event of an accident.

2012 Mercedes-Benz R-Class Pricing

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price

$52,690

Certified Pre Owned Pricewhat is this?

$22,700

Certified Pre-Owned Price is the approximate price a consumer can expect to pay at a dealership for a used vehicle that has passed the manufacturer's certification process. This price applies only to vehicles covered under an automaker's CPO program, not to a dealership's own "certified" used price.

Recalls

Recall ID#16V081000 - AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE INFLATOR MODULE

Consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and Chrysler owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.

2012 Mercedes-Benz R-Class News and Reviews

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